I am a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Sober, by the Grace of God, since July 24, 1984.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

What a difference a sober person makes

Having just bid my sponsor and her husband farewell, and having spent almost a whole day with them, having had a house full of sober alcoholics last night, and a few here this morning, having had Peter (the fellow shadow on my profile picture) drive me home from the spot on which Maureen and Tony embarked on their new journey, sitting here already on the edge of tears....

I read about AAwoken's challenges, and his love for his wife, and I read about dAAve's challenges and his devotion to his mother; I am just dumbstruck with gratitude for the program and the people of Alcoholics Anonymous.

As alcoholics, we are "problem people", I put that in quotes because it is something that Marc up in Washington used to say all the time. We are basically fuck ups, sorry, that is my own terminology - (see JJ? I really do cuss like a sailor!) We are people who normally hurt people and don't show up and don't do what we say we are going to do, and we do what we say we will never do. And for some of us, by the Grace of God, and the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, somehow we get sober. And little by little, day by day, we start to be people who don't hurt others. We start to be people who show up and do what we say we are going to do. We also don't do what we say we aren't going to do.

In our families, we end up being the people who come through when Mom or Dad are sick. We end up being the people who understand the wife or husband who is having terrible problems. We end up at work being the person who others can talk to. We end up being the neighbor that the other neighbors just inexplicably gravitate towards.

I can't help but think that the world is extraordinarily better for the couple of million sober members of Alcoholics Anonymous. I am so blessed to count myself among you. Thank you and God Bless Everyone of You.